


Why Don't We Get Things Started? (The Muppet Show)

by fairlightscales



Series: 33 and 1/3 [18]
Category: Poldark (TV 2015), Poldark - All Media Types, The Muppet Show
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - 1980s, F/M, Family, Married Life, Parenthood, Ross and Dem, The Muppets - Freeform, showbiz
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:27:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,061
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26618188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairlightscales/pseuds/fairlightscales
Summary: That Muppet Show Episode where Dem was hosting...
Relationships: Demelza Carne/Ross Poldark
Series: 33 and 1/3 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1420387
Comments: 39
Kudos: 20





	Why Don't We Get Things Started? (The Muppet Show)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Muppetational  
> 1980

Ross knelt next to Clowance and smiled encouragement as she gently, shyly touched the puppet's face with her hand. The feel of it was like a soft blanket. She patted the puppet's cheek. "Oh! That was nice!" said the frog. "Can I touch your face?" Clowance nodded with a smile of anticipation. Ross was interested to see that she was fixated on the puppet talking even though the puppeteer was near. As near to her as he was and using a rod to let the puppet move his arm and touch her cheek. She giggled. It sounded so reminiscent of Demelza, Ross smiled until his eyes crinkled. Clowance looked between Papa and the frog. "This is Papa!" she said, proud to introduce her father. The puppet turned to Ross. "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Poldark!" Clowance looked to her father, sharply. If he spoke to the puppet then surely the frog was real! "Very pleased to meet you, Mr. Frog." The operator grinned. "Please, call me Kermit!" Ross looked at Clowance. Her eyes were bright with excitement. It was a sort of magic. Ross shook hands with the frog with a wry smile to his operator who's smile was as warm toward him as his daughter. "Thank you, you must call me Ross!"

Dem watched Jeremy run about in excitement asking dozens of questions and excited to have a chance to work one of the puppets himself. A puppeteer showed him how to lift his arm over his head to settle the character at the same level of another man who was kneeling and hold a metal rod to move the puppets hand. "Mama! Mama! Look he's waving hello! I made him wave hello!" She waved to the puppet. "That's wonderful, Jeremy!" It was wonderful. The crew of the television program were very generous with their time and had no hesitation in letting the children tour the studio before they all had a special dinner to celebrate wrapping the filming. Dem had the very strange but fun task this week of performing alongside the puppeteers on various pieces that would be edited together into a full episode. When Ross and Clowance returned to the set with Mr. Henson he gathered them all to watch a monitor in the corner of the room to see how it looked from the camera's perspective. Even Dem was astonished to see herself playing guitar with the puppets with every hint of the human operators magicked away. It looked like a colorful bunch of musicians playing with her. The reality of her standing on a platform while the puppeteers walked around her was hard to keep hold of as she watched the girl puppet beat on her tambourine and the keyboard player grin into the camera and then back to her playing her Vox in a seamless edit. It was delightful. The children were delighted to see Mama playing music with the colorful puppets. Clowance bopped up and down in her place, clapping her hands gleefully. Jeremy looked to Mama and Papa. They looked so happy. It cheered him. He turned to look back at the monitor. "It looks real!" he said excitedly and the crew around them cheered. "You should have them open for you when you tour, my love!" chuckled Ross. The crew laughed and the warmth and friendliness of them all lightened things between the Poldarks. The children were excited by the tour and it was just as exciting that Mama and Papa were happier recently. Their parents tried to be normal but the strain in them ever since they returned from America did not escape Jeremy and Clowance's notice. This week of Mama returning to the flat full of funny stories each day, the anticipation of the wrap dinner with a new dress and hair ribbons for Clowance, a proper tie like a grown up for Jeremy that matched Papa's, and the laughter in the London house between them felt more like home than Nampara had done recently. The strain in Ross and Dem, needing to try to be normal, was reduced. They didn't have to try recently. The naturalness of their interactions had returned. It was a happy reprieve for them all. Hugh had strange ideas sometimes but they did seem sound. The popularity of the Christmas special made other television offers to have Dem in other programs flood in. Armitage was careful to vette projects that showed Dem as a musician, rejecting most others. That he counseled her to decline walk on rolls in popular programs seemed like madness. Why not say yes to a situation that was easily done and got more exposure? Hugh did not want to have her propped up as a bit of eye candy. He wanted her seen as an musician on TV. Television was potent and one must control the medium, not be dragged into the conceptions that television people demanded. TV was not like print media. In magazines, in modeling assignments Dem was glamorous and elegant. Photos like that were ideal. They were tightly controlled to show Demelza well. That she be frozen in time, in photos, in beauty, in glamour, had her seen, positively, by people who might not buy her records but come to like her personality and avidly enjoyed by people who did buy her music, wanted more of her. Hugh felt television had too many aspects one could not control. What if Dem was in a show deemed boring? Many offers could have been filled by any sort of girl, and were after she declined them. Being careful about the projects Dem acquiesced to, finding situations that worked to her advantage was important. The Muppet Show was whimsical and had many skits that had Dem singing and playing her guitar. It had the extra advantage of being filmed in England, just outside London, and shown in the United States. Dem being on TV in the States would keep her name floating around in the higher echelons of the West Coast music scene without having to be there. That was all well and good as far as Hugh was concerned. Hugh would be happy to never have to set foot in L.A. ever again.

Ross was in the strange position of being 'Demelza Poldark's Husband'. This was a role apart from being half of 'Ross n' Dem'. Dem had been 'Dem Poldark' and 'Ross Poldark's Wife' for many years but being, 'Demelza Poldark' had a subtlety laid over her previous roles, their previous role. A mixture of stardom and glamour made the eyes of others fall upon her first when they entered the room. The crew here defered to her for she was the star. Many of the English crew recognized both of them but the transplanted Americans had no knowledge of Resurgam or had any idea that Christmas singles 'were a thing' in England. Ross felt no sense of demotion in this but it was strange. A adjustment. He watched Dem incline her head lovingly at Ross as people complimented their cute children and her performances which came off so well. She acknowledged him to others the way he often did in company. Keeping her in the halo of interest as people spent most of their attention on him. It was her halo now. She was the one making a point of bringing her stardust to her spouse as the focus remained on her.

"You all look so lovely!" gushed Betsy. "Clowance looks so sweeeeeet..." she cooed to Clowance who smiled at the complement. The Sun showed them leaving the restaurant, a day later. Ross was becoming troubled by the photographers and the tabloid papers. Their experience in L.A. was starting to be the norm everywhere. He did not see who took the photo of them as they left. The photographers were more aggressive than the few chancers who waited around Caxton Hall and took pictures on their wedding day in the sixties. They used lenses that could be utilized from afar they did not have to be near the subject to take them. In Ross' opinion, they took pictures for no real reason. Who cared to see him and Dem and the children leaving their dinner? Walking along the pavement? Why should that be in the papers? But as night follows day, Dem, smiling at Jeremy as they walked to the car, holding hands and Ross carrying Clowance sleeping with her arm around his neck were in the paper. "Tuckered Out! Demelza Poldark enjoyed a grand dinner out with husband, Ross, and their children at Rules but it was clearly past bedtime for the littlest Poldark!" That wasn't any kind of a story, thought Ross. The picture just hung there like an afterthought. The caption was nonsense. It was surrounded by other news and advertisements that had nothing to do with them. "Tea, Ross?" asked Dem, smiling at the kitchen counter. Ross sat down. "Good morning, Jinny, Betsy," he grinned at his daughter. "Good morning Clowance!" Jinny smiled cheerfully, already having seen Jeremy off to school, seated at the kitchen table with Betsy's copy of The Sun. "Morning!" she lifted the paper to show the photo. "Jeremy was that handsome with his tie and all!" said Jinny, proud of her little friend looking so cute. Ross smiled. The ties they wore were the same pattern, a repeat pattern of woven diamonds in dark blue. Jeremy felt very grown up. It was sweet to see. They admired each other throughout the evening in a self satisfied happiness, two sharp looking Poldarks that matched... Ross was annoyed by the tabloid but glad Betsy bought them from time to time. It was better to know what was being said and Ross was too proud to be seen buying one of his own. Dem set a cup of tea in front of Ross. They exchanged a smile. "Jeremy cut a dash, thank you, Dem..." Ross was beginning to notice a 'tell' in Dem's behavior. When she felt Ross was being given shorter shrift in their evenings out she made a point of making breakfast and serving him like some sort of kitchen maid. It was a reversal of roles, a revision too. Ross and the Paynters gave her tea and breakfast over the years far more often then Dem did herself. Dem seemed to want to feed him, serve him, as if that should be a wifely thing to do. She smiled timidly. She knew Ross disliked pictures of them walking the pavement. It was intrusive and a little strange but Dem did not mind too much. The photographers didn't call out trying to talk to the children or try to make them look at the camera. She didn't like the picture taking but she did often like seeing Ross walking with her or holding the children in a vantage point she didn't get to see naturally herself. Clowance looked darling asleep at Ross' shoulder and she walked with Jeremy who was getting so tall now... Where does the time go...? A guilty pleasure perhaps...  
"Are you going in today?" asked Ross. She shook her head 'no'. "No, we'll pick back up on Wednesday. Blue gets back from Scotland tonight..." Clowance came running to him when Betsy put her down and clamped herself to Ross' leg, an eccentric sort of hug, but heartfelt. Ross stroked her hair, gently. Dem watched, happy that he and Clowance were so close, stuffing down a smidgen of envy that she went to Ross first. Why wouldn't she. He looked after her with care and attention while Dem was working. Of course 'Papa' would be greeted first... Ross grinned down at Clowance who smiled up at him. "We have Mama all to ourselves today and tomorrow!" he said. "Yay!" Clowance released Ross' leg and trotted around the table to hug her mother and Dem felt embarrassed that she had coveted Ross' first embrace. It wasn't like that, shouldn't be like that. There was love enough for them all. She lifted her up and hugged her. Ross, Jinny and Betsy smiled warmly, watching Dem and Clowance talking, nose to nose, and Dem's shinning smile as they decided what fun things Mama should do today with her. They would pick up Jeremy from school together which always made their son happy. The Poldarks were a happy family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Rainbow Connection, written by Paul Williams, lyrics by Kenneth Ascher as performed by Kermit the Frog 1979
> 
> Why are there so many songs about rainbows  
> And what's on the other side?  
> Rainbows are visions, but only illusions  
> And rainbows have nothing to hide  
> So we've been told, and some choose to believe it  
> I know they're wrong; wait and see  
> Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection  
> The lovers, the dreamers, and me  
> Who said that ev'ry wish would be heard and answered  
> When wished on the morning star?  
> Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it  
> Look what it's done so far.  
> What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing  
> And what do we think we might see?  
> Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection  
> The lovers, the dreamers, and me  
> All of us under its spell;  
> We know that it's probably magic  
> Have you been half asleep and heard voices?  
> I've heard them calling my name  
> Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors  
> The voice might be one and the ame  
> I've heard it too many times to ignore it  
> It's something that I'm s'posed to be  
> Someday we'll find it, the Rainbow Connection  
> The lovers, the dreamers, and me.  
> La da da de da da do  
> La la da da da de da do
> 
> Rules: Since 1798, a restaurant at Covent Garden long favored by performers, actors and entertainers
> 
> Um, yeah, so just that we're on the same page here, I am now committed to All Tomorrow's Parties parts two and three, L.A., Xmas '79 including the full transcript of the BBC Demelza Poldark Christmas Special and now a Muppet Show episode. If world events become even more bizarre who knows whatever else...? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

**Author's Note:**

> Muppet Show Theme, Sam Pottle and Jim Henson 1977 as performed by The Muppets
> 
> It's time to play the music  
> It's time to light the lights  
> It's time to meet the Muppets on the Muppet Show tonight  
> It's time to put on make up  
> It's time to dress up right  
> It's time to raise the curtain on the Muppet Show tonight  
> Why do we always come here  
> I guess we'll never know  
> It's like a kind of torture  
> To have to watch the show  
> But now let's get things started  
> Why don't you get things started  
> It's time to get things started  
> On the most sensational, inspirational, celebrational, muppetational  
> This is what we call the Muppet Show


End file.
